GUNNERS CAN'T DEC EVERYONE

After drawing a blank in Porto, Rice admits: We are not going to smash in five or six goals all the time

- JOHN CROSS

DECLAN RICE has warned that Arsenal cannot be expected to blow away every team by "five and six" goals.

But Rice insists that the Gunners remain full of confiIdence in the title race and will improve in their steep European learning curve.

Arsenal return to Premier League action tomorrow night when they face Newcastle in what has become a crunch game for the titlechasers as they look to turn up the heat on rivals Liverpool and Manchester City.

But after smashing 21 goals in their last five league games, they drew a blank and lost in the Champions League in Porto after failing to register a shot on target.

Rice admitted that even the Arsenal players were bemused in the dressing room as to how they could go from scoring goals for fun to a dismal defeat.

The midfielder (left) said: "Not every game is going to be fives and sixes. You are going to come up against teams who are watching us and seeing what they can do to stop us.